Evangelicals typically over look what the Bible teaches number one reason for true poverty or destitution: oppression, rooted in idolatry; yes, oppression rooted in idolatry. Oppression is primarily at the hands of invading enemy armies or at the hands of rich and powerful people. The latter exploit those who can no longer work their land- (widows, fatherless children) and the sick or disabled or farmers who have had bad crops due to disasters of some kind and must borrow to keep going. Loans lead to indentured servant hood and forfeiture of the family farm. In some cases, land is simply stolen by the powerful. All of this is injustice. It violates the law of God and the rights of these poor land owners. This type of oppression is the cause given for most of the poverty in the Bible. Not all who are called Poor are oppressed, but the oppressed are truly poor.

The Biblical Mandate to rule & subdue (have dominion over and cultivate) the earth (Genesis 1:26-31 with 2:15, as well as the 4th Commandment: "you shall labor") is still in the Bible and never annulled, but it is consistently misused. All kinds of selfishness, greed, waste and exploitation are justified with the Mandate. A standard is needed to decide whether specific work is as God intends it to be. When is a specific work activity (or work environment) bad and to be rejected.?

What is the Standard by which to judge "work"?

That standard is the “image of God”. It enables us to answer this question biblically. God did not say: “I have made human beings. They have authority to rule the earth.” God said: “I have made humans to be like me, to image Me. Because they are my image and as my Image, by lieu-tenants on earth, they are to rule the earth.” The Image is not itself the mandate to have dominion. The Image determines how we are to have dominion. Human beings are to obey the “cultural mandate” as bearers of the image of God. The image is meant to govern the entire enterprise. The "Image" is what makes us "persons". This has practical implications: to act according to the image of God is to act according to the characteristics of God, as follows: